The Resurection of Tarakudo
by Arileo
Summary: Just when the Chans thought things could get back to normal, they find themselves with an unusual houseguest.
1. Peace and Quiet NOT

Arileo: Please be gentle, this is my first fanfic to ever make its way from my demented brain to computer. All I can say is, I like Tarakudo, he cracks me up, and it's a welcome change from Shendu and the talismans, not to mention, there just aren't enough fics featuring him! (In fact, I haven't read a single one...) Glyph: Who cares about the floating head? VALMONT!! Arileo: Please also, ignore the hyperactive fangirl muse.  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Jackie Chan Adventures or any of the characters portrayed within it (though I would swap Jade for my own 11-year-old niece in a heartbeat). I ain't makin' any money here, I'm just a poor soon-to-be college student.

* * *

The Resurrection of Tarakudo

Chapter one: Peace and Quiet... NOT!  
  
"AIYAAAA! Tohru! You are BAAD PUPIIIL!!!!"  
  
Jackie heaved a sigh, "A week, just a _week_ of peace. That is all I ask." He lowered his head onto the counter.  
  
"Aw, c'mon Uncle Jackie. Six days is a pretty good record. It's only matter of time before a new baddie shows up," said Jade.  
  
Jackie sighed again. "Do not jinx it for us Jade. Now come, let us see what is wrong."  
  
"Think I should call Capt. Black?"  
  
"Jade..."  
  
"What? Always be prepared, you know?"  
  
Tohru and Uncle had been in the back doing research. They had gotten their hands on hundreds of books on Japanese mysticism and mythology hoping to find information about Tarakudo's Oni mask, afraid of what might happen if someone wore it. With all the power the red, black, and white piece of wood held, knowing what level of protection needed was vital.  
  
"Uncle, Tohru, did you find something?" Jackie asked, as he and Jade tentatively poked their heads through the door.  
  
"Did WE _FIIIND_ something?" Uncle raved, "_TOHRU_ found something he should have found MONTHS ago!!!"  
  
Jackie looked over at Tohru, silently asking for an explanation.  
  
The huge man shifted his weight and coughed a bit before finally speaking.  
  
"Umm... we may have found Tarakudo's origins... and that his mask is very different from the other nine."  
  
"AIYAA! Origin not important now Tohru! What happens now that mask has been _USED_ is important."  
  
"What is wrong Uncle? What happens now?" Jackie asked.  
  
"Apparently," said Tohru, "Tarakudo was NOT the king of all Oni as he claimed. He merely sealed away all the Oni who would not serve him. And now that Tarakudo and all of his power has been sealed into the mask..."  
  
"Let me guess," Jackie groaned, "All the Oni he sealed away become UN- sealed."  
  
"It gets worse," said Uncle, "It is likely that these new Oni will come looking for mask in order to use its power."  
  
"Yeah!! This means the J-team is back in action!" Jade cried, punching the air.  
  
Jackie groaned and rubbed his forehead.  
  
"Bad day..."  
  
"So, you want me to put the entire base on alert in case these new Oni come looking for Tarakudo's mask?"  
  
"Yes Captain Black," Jackie said over the phone. "Uncle and Tohru are working on putting the onion spell back up before it is too late."  
  
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!  
  
Jackie slapped his forehead, remembering his earlier words to Jade about jinxing things.  
  
"WHERE IS HE? WHERE IS THE TRAITOR WHO CALLS HIMSELF TARAKUDO?" a loud feminine voice bellowed.  
  
Jackie ran out into the street to see a small crater in the cement sidewalk. Floating above the destruction was a tall, beautiful woman in flowing Japanese robes. She had black hair pulled into an intricate bun and green tinted skin. But most striking were the two horns on her head. Horns, Jackie remembered, had been the one thing all the Oni masks had in common.  
  
"I AM DOKUONNA, NOBLEWOMAN OF THE ONI CLAN, AND I DEMAND THE RETURN OF THE POWER WHICH IS RIGHTFULLY MINE!"  
  
"Um, excuse me?" Jackie asked hesitantly, "But I'm not sure that will be possible."  
  
Dokuonna was in front of him before he could blink. She was a good four inches taller than him; he noted absently, "You, mortal, you dare speak to me?"  
  
"Heheh, well, you see, I am kind of protecting the Tarakudo Oni mask from evil spirits..."  
  
"Well then," Dokuonna replied, narrowing her eyes, "I guess I shall have to do away with you! SHI-NE!!" The Oni woman raised her sharp nails.  
  
Jackie dodged the attack by millimeters, loosing several hairs in the process, and landing hard on the sidewalk. He glanced up to see that Dokuonna's nails had actually cut into the wall of the shop behind him.  
  
Uncle was not going to be happy.  
  
Dokuonna raised her hand the strike again.  
  
"Jackie! Look out!"  
  
PHWOOSH!!  
  
The Oni was knocked back by a blast of chi. "Who...?" She started.  
  
Uncle stood in the doorway of the shop, lizard at the ready. "Demon woman will leave this place NOW!" He commanded, letting off another shot that landed near Dokuonna's feet.  
  
"This is only a temporary setback human!" The demoness hissed, and disappeared in a puff of smoke.  
  
"We will be ready," Uncle snorted. "Jack-ee! Get up off of ground! We have work to do!"  
  
"Coming Uncle," Jackie groaned.  
  
"One mo-ore thing."  
  
THWAP!  
  
"_Ow_!"  
  
"That was for letting demon woman damage shop!"  
  
"Bad day..."  
  
END CHAPTER ONE

* * *

Well? Likey? No-likey? Review? Onegai? (please)  
  
Author's Notes: I actually thought Tarakudo was spelt 'Terakudo', but spelling used in the fic is the one on the JCA website. Dokuonna is Japanese for 'poison woman' (I think.) "SHI-NE" is Japanese for "DIE!" Apparently 'demoness' isn't a word.  
  
Next chapter, who is Dokuonna, and how do we stop her?  
  
Glyph: I WANT VALMONT! 


	2. The Legend of the 1000 Shadows

YEAH! I got reviews! Does happy dance  
  
Vampire Naomi: I'm not sure how many Oni there'll be. If I run out of ideas, I'll probably take some inspiration from Power Rangers Wild Force... groan yes, I watched that. The 'Orgs' were inspired by the Japanese Oni. Oh, what I have in store for Tarakudo is truly hilarious...  
  
Queen Jade0: Thanks for reading, glad you like it!  
  
Yu Mutou: Don't worry, there'll be lots of Dokuonna.  
  
DreyonLegacy: What the heck is that supposed to mean?  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own JCA, I'm making no money off of this, please don't sue me.  
  
Glyph: I WANT VALMONT!!  
  
Sheesh... one-track minded muses...  
  
And now for more fic!  
  
The Resurrection of Tarakudo Chapter two: The Legend of the 1000 Shadows  
  
"All right Uncle!" Jade cheered, "Way to show that Oni chick who's boss!"  
  
"Jade," Jackie warned, though silently amazed that Jade had remained inside the shop for the entire 5 minutes of the fight. "This is no time to be celebrating! We have a new enemy coming after Tarakudo's mask!"  
  
"Exactly! This means we call in the J-Team!"  
  
"Jade, no."  
  
"Aww..."  
  
"Uncle," Jackie said, turning away from his niece, "Can you and Tohru find a way to keep this 'Dokuonna' from taking the mask?"  
  
"Actually, I think we already have."  
  
Everyone looked at Tohru. "Toh-ru, what do you mean, already have?" Uncle demanded.  
  
"Here," Tohru pointed to the scrolls he'd been hovering over, "As I said earlier, we have found Tarakudo's origins. This scroll also has a method to prevent the mask from being used by the Oni to do evil." At this point he trailed off.  
  
"WELL? Go on! Why you hesitate! We must stop O-ni from obtaining mask's power!"  
  
"Well," Tohru continued, "It's just that the method involves... resurrecting Tarakudo."  
  
"WHAT? But we just sealed him! How will this help?" Jade cried.  
  
"Tohru, perhaps you should start from the beginning," Jackie asked while rubbing his forehead. He felt a migraine coming on.  
  
Tohru cleared his throat and began.  
  
"Once, long ago, there where two great demon clans at war with one another. One was the Oni clan, ruled by the great and fearsome King Shi-Ma-oh, and the other was the Shadow Khan clan, ruled by the powerful Queen Kage-Hyaku-oh."  
  
"Whoa, hold on there T," said Jade, "The Oni and the Shadow Khan were enemies? But the Shadow Khan worked _for_ the Oni!"  
  
"Questions later! Let Toh-ru speak!" Uncle barked.  
  
"Ahem, as I was saying. These Shadow Khan were not the Shadow Khan we are familiar with. The nine tribes we know were apparently only a lower class of demon. Ruling over them and controlling them were a class of nobles. These were high-level shadow demons, and the others were their obedient servants.

"The main cause for the war is not mentioned here, only how it ended. The race of shadow nobles was dying out, and so Kage-Hyaku-oh gave a decree allowing marriages between nobles and members of other races. Kage-Hyaku-oh herself had a grown half-human daughter at this time. Before long, there were many half-shadow demon children born. Shi-Ma-oh was especially disgusted by this act, thinking that demons should not mix with others outside their kind.

"To celebrate this new life in her clan, Kage-Hyaku-oh held a great festival in her palace to honor all the new children. In a move that alienated even his greatest allies, Shi-Ma-oh attacked the festival, and slaughtered every child, half-breed or otherwise, all except for one. This one was Kage-Hyaku-oh's only grandson, child of her half-mortal daughter and a young samurai, three-quarters human, and heir to the throne of the Shadow Khan.

"Shi-Ma-oh took the young prince hostage and taunted the Shadow Queen into attacking his fortress. Kage-Hyaku-oh and the remaining grief-stricken parents struck at the Oni clan without thinking, and were defeated. By the end of the night, no Shadow Khan noble remained alive. Shi-Ma-oh himself killed Kage-Hyaku-oh, taking her power in the process, and making the nine lower tribes his slaves. To cement his leadership of the broken remains of the Shadow Khan, he kept the young prince alive as his personal slave.

"Years after the massacre of his kind, the prince got his revenge. In a great battle, he defeated Shi-Ma-oh, and took not only the power the Oni- king had taken from Kage-Hyaku-oh, his own power as well, becoming an all- powerful demon. However, he himself died from his wounds and the strain of the sheer mass of demonic energy. In his death, a new demon was created, a spirit with the soul of the dead shadow prince, and the power of the Oni. The new demon declared himself to be Tarakudo, lord of the Shadow Khan, and King of all Oni. Any one who tried to dispute his claim was sealed away into a sub-realm. Knowing that he could not contain all the power, he gave command of the nine Shadow Khan tribes to the nine strongest Oni to swear fealty to him. From there, starts the legend we already know.

"Apparently, the mask was intended as only a temporary holding place. Tarakudo was too powerful in his spirit form, but if his soul could be returned to a mortal body, he would lose that power, unable to contain it. Supposedly, a tree grew from were Tarakudo's mortal body was buried. If the mask is placed upon the trunk of the tree at the right time, and the proper ritual performed, Tarakudo will be returned to life in his original form. The nine Oni generals would remain sealed away, and the powers of Kage-Hyaku-oh and Shi-Ma-oh will be dispersed, as they should have been when they died."

"Leaving us with nothing to worry about except for Tarakudo the mortal," Jackie said, "Which I'm sure Captain Black would be glad to help out with."  
  
"All right!" Jade cheered, "Let's get moving!"  
  
"For once I agree Jade," said Jackie, "Uncle, Tohru, get that ritual prepared, and find that tree. I will tell Captain Black the situation. The sooner this is over with, the better!"  
  
Dokuonna paced impatiently on a roof. She had to get that mask! If only she could take the power that was rightfully hers, she could assume her place as queen of the Oni! If it hadn't been for that treacherous little pet of Shi-Ma-oh's, she'd have already been queen.  
  
"A beautiful woman such as yourself should not worry. It will make you old before your time," said a nasal, whining voice  
  
"Who's there?!" Dokuonna whipped her head around in shock.  
  
"I'm hurt, you don't remember your dear old friend?" From the shadows emerged a tall figure. It was another Oni. He wore a samurai's blue armored breastplate and gauntlets, but loose yellow silk pants with pale indigo flowers on the lower legs. His skin was solid black, and his golden blond hair was pulled up into a topknot behind his two horns. His hands and feet bore long gold-colored talons.  
  
"Hidoi," Dokuonna said, recognizing the other Oni at last.  
  
"Ohisashiburi," Hidoi grinned, baring a mouth full of sharp teeth, " Now, tell me, what could be ailing my dear Dokuonna?"  
  
"I have found where the mask that contains lord Shi-Ma-oh's power is being kept. But there is a chi-wizard guarding it, and I am still weak from my imprisonment," she snarled.  
  
"Aren't we all," Hidoi replied. "But I'm sure we can think of something. As you once said yourself my darling, power's nothing against intelligence."  
  
"Indeed," said the Oni woman. "Let us think."  
  
END CHAPTER TWO

* * *

And another Oni is introduced.  
  
Author's notes: (before I forget, my Japanese is really bad. I only know random words and phrases, most of the names are bits and pieces stuck together.)  
  
in case I forget to mention it later, Oni is usually translated in English as 'Ogre'.

Shi-Ma-oh = Death-Demon/Evil- king,

Kage-Hyaku-oh = Shadow-Thousand-king, or 'Queen of a thousand shadows' in this case.

Hidoi = mean/cruel, pay attention to the Oni's names, they all have a reason.

Ohisashiburi = 'Long time no see'.  
  
Two chapters already, cool. The third chapter should be up by Wednesday, next up, the resurrection! Dude, I'm on a roll!  
  
Glyph: YOU WON'T BE IF YOU DON'T GIVE ME SOME VALMONT!!  
  
Arileo: If I go buy some Rorouni Kenshin manga will you be satisfied?  
  
Glyph: Okay!  
  
Muses, can't live with'em, can't live without'em.


	3. The Ritual

Arileo: Well, with the muse (temporarily) sated by some A-Team-  
  
Glyph: MURDOCK!!  
  
Arileo: Ahem, yes, as I was saying, I'm actually going to get Chapter 3 up less than a week after I said I would. The Resurrection! And what could Hidoi and Dokuonna be plotting?  
  
Tarakudo: It's about time I got in; this is a fic about me after all.  
  
Glyph: You're not gonna like it... (shows Tarakudo 'Leo's notes for fic)  
  
Tarakudo: What? WTF!???! What is this? No! No way in F(%ing H377 are you doing this to me!  
  
Arileo: Oops... RUN AWAY!!!!!!!  
  
REVIEWS:  
  
Queen Jade0: Don't worry; there shall be much Jade-ness in later chapters, including connections to her brief stint as Queen of the Shadow Khan. I really wished they had done more with that in the show.  
  
Pike82: Glad that you enjoyed, and I'm honored to receive your first review.  
  
Vampire Naomi: Honestly? The main reason I'm doing season four is 'cause I saw maybe five episodes of season three, and missed out on two all together. But I'm still very glad that everyone likes it.  
  
DISCLAIMER: I do not own JCA; I'm not getting paid for this.  
  
Now excuse me, I have to go hide from an angry psychokinetic floating head...

* * *

The Resurrection of Tarakudo  
Chapter three: The Ritual  
  
"Oof," Jackie groaned as he hauled yet another bag onto the plane, "Uncle, why am I the only one doing this?" he moaned.  
  
THWAP  
  
"OW!"  
  
He really should have seen that one coming.  
  
"Jack-ee! You would expect Uncle to lift heavy lugg-aaaage?"  
  
"Ah, no Uncle, but Tohru..."  
  
"Toh-ru must study for ritual to remove demon spirit from mask! We have little time!"  
  
"Ya know Uncle Jackie," Jade spoke up, from where she'd been perched on a box doing nothing, "We are on a tight schedule. The half moon's tomorrow night. It's kinda funny though. Usually these kind of things are done on either the full moon or the new one..."  
  
"Tell me again why I am letting you come with us?" Jackie threatened.  
  
"Oh, umm... Here Uncle Jackie, lemme give you a hand with that!"  
  
"Alright Jackie, you ready?" Captain Black called from the plane.  
  
"Just a second!"  
  
Capt. Black had decided to come to Japan with them in order to help bring back Tarakudo once the revival ritual was complete. Along with him was a young section 13 medical officer by the name of Sera Hannon. Dr. Hannon came along in case they need medical attention, and because she expressed a great interest in the occult. Black hoped to have her learn a bit of magic.  
  
Jackie heaved the last bag onto the plane (with some assistance from Jade) and climbed aboard.  
  
"All right team!" Jade cheered with her usual enthusiasm, "Next stop, Kyoto!"  
  
"They are going to revive the brat! If they do that, we won't be able to siphon the mask's power!"  
  
Dokuonna was livid as she paced behind a hanger. She could not attack in broad daylight, still too weak from Tarakudo's seal.  
  
"Now, now," Hidoi lounged against the wall, "We can find a way to stop them. And even if we don't, there will always be the falling of the seals."  
  
"I know! But then we won't be able to control which seals break when! I hate not being in control," the demoness raged. "We MUST stop them!"  
  
"Well that's easy really," Hidoi drawled, "All we have to do is get to Kyoto first."  
  
"Oh, and I suppose you've regained enough power to teleport the both of us across an entire ocean?" Dokuonna asked cynically, "You couldn't to that even on your best day!"  
  
"Who said anything about teleporting. I meant we do this the modern way."  
  
"Modern way?"  
  
The blond Oni male pointed wordlessly to a small plane on a nearby strip, and the two young pilots talking next to it.  
  
Dokuonna grinned.  
  
Jackie was glad to finally be able to stretch his legs after they're flight. He was also a bit surprised. It had been a while since they'd been able to fly without being interrupted by enemies at any point before or during the flight. Now they had only to hope that they wouldn't be attacked before they left the strip. He hated fighting on airplane runways.  
  
"All right team," said Black, "There's a van waiting for us, we'll be using that to get as close to this tree as possible. Tohru, you're our guide."  
  
"Shotgun!" Jade shouted.  
  
"Jade!" Jackie said in his 'don't-even-think-about-it' tone.  
  
"Aww..."  
  
"Relax Jackie," Black waved him off, "It'll be fine. She won't be a bother."  
  
"Yeah!"  
  
They piled into the van with little trouble, Black helping Jackie with the luggage this time. Black drove, with Jade in the passenger seat. Jackie and Dr. Hannon sat in the back seat, while Tohru and Uncle were in the back of the van working on spell ingredients needed for the ritual. It turned out that Jackie really didn't have to worry about Jade bothering Captain Black. After they'd stopped for a bathroom break, Jade switched with him so that she could talk to Dr. Hannon. Hannon was quite taken with the little girl, and was more than happy to chat about everything from Moose World to talismans.  
  
"Captain Black," Tohru shouted from the back, "We have to stop here."  
  
Black slowed the van and leaned back to look at the larger man, "How come, we there?"  
  
"No. But this is as close as we can go in a car. From here we will have to walk."  
  
There was a small chorus of groans.  
  
"Stop moaning!" Uncle shouted, "We must hurry! Must get to sacred tree before tomorrow night! Is sunset now!"  
  
Captain Black and Jackie glanced at each other and sighed. "Alright troops! Let's move out! We have 24 hours!"  
  
Next afternoon:  
  
"Are we there yet?"  
  
"No Jade." said Jackie,  
  
Ten minutes later:  
  
"Are we there yet?"  
  
"Nope," said Black.  
  
Twenty minutes later:  
  
"Are we there yet?"  
  
"Not yet Hon," said Hannon.  
  
Fifteen minutes later:  
  
"Are we there yet?"  
  
"No," Said Tohru.  
  
Ten minutes later:  
  
"Are we there yet?"  
  
"Almost Jade," Jackie answered again. "We are all tired from hiking all day and having to sleep outside last night. I am sure we will be there soon."  
  
Before Jade could start up her litany again however, Captain Black's phone rang.  
  
"Black here," Everyone watched as the bald man's face grew dark. Whatever he was being told, it was not good news. After a few minutes, he hung up and turned to them. "Jackie, Hannon, can I talk to you for a sec?"  
  
This made Jackie worried. "What has happened?"  
  
"That was the agents I left at the airport. Apparently, soon after we took off, another small jet took off without clearance. They just found it a few miles from here. The co-pilot was dead, poisoned, and the pilot's in bad condition, he was cut up something awful. The best part is, he was awake for a bit, and was babbling something about a man and a woman with devil horns hijacking their plane."  
  
"Dokuonna," Jackie stated.  
  
"And a friend. We're gonna have to be a lot more careful from here on. And let's also hope that _they_ don't know where they're going," Hannon muttered.  
  
"Enough talk-iiiing!" Uncle shouted impatiently, "Sun will soon be setting! We must have ritual ready by the time the half moon can be seen through branches of sacred tree!"  
  
"Yes Uncle," Jackie sighed.  
  
It was several hours later when they finally had some luck.  
  
"The grove in which Tarakudo was buried should be just over this ridge," Tohru said, looking up from his map.  
  
"Hurry," Uncle urged, "We will have just enough time to prepare the spell."  
  
And they climbed over the ridge.  
  
Jackie stared in awe. In the midst of a clearing in the tall oak trees, was a lone _sakura_ tree in full bloom. The white petals fell like snow to the grass.  
  
"It's... beautiful, "said Hannon. "But it's not the season for that tree to have flowers. It's not natural."  
  
"It is MAGIC!" Uncle snarled.  
  
"And fitting as well," Tohru added, "In Japanese culture, white _sakura_ petals are symbolic of death."  
  
Jackie shuddered at this revelation.  
  
"Have culture lesson another time! Toh-ru! Get to work!"  
  
The large man mumbled an apology to his _sensei_ and began to take various items from his pack. Jackie, Jade, Black, and Dr. Hannon sat back and watched as Uncle mixed various powders and liquids into a small cauldron, chanting under his breath all the while. Mean while, Tohru set up incense around the tree. As they worked, the moon rose overhead, split perfectly in half.  
  
One final puff of smoke arose over the cauldron. Uncle examined its pitch-black contents, and then the moon's position.  
  
"It is time."  
  
Tohru grabbed the cauldron and followed Uncle obediently to the tree.  
  
The old man gently snapped off one low hanging branch and dropped a few petals into the cauldron. He stirred them in with the branch. Then Uncle turned back to the tree. Using the branch as a brush, he began to paint a circular symbol onto the trunk that reminded Jackie of a compass. Extending from the 'south' point on the symbol was a second circle, containing what resembled a rising sun.  
  
Completing the symbol, Uncle laid the branch on the ground. "Bring mask," he gestured to Captain Black.  
  
Black approached slowly, holding the heavy metal suitcase he had guarded jealously the entire journey.  
  
No one spoke as he undid the locks upon the case and held it open to the world. The wooden effigy of Tarakudo's red face stared up with empty eyes.  
  
"Tohru, take mask and place it upon tree, over compass."  
  
"I don't think so!"  
  
Black barely managed to dodge Dokuonna's strike. The Oni woman bared her claws and leapt again. Jackie ran to intercept only to feel something slice across his back.  
  
"Ah, Jackie Chan?"  
  
He rolled over to see a black-skinned, blond, male Oni standing over him.  
  
"My name is Hidoi, and I shall be your killer for today."  
  
"We shall see about that."  
  
The Oni Hidoi spread his talons and struck. Jackie was able to keep up with the demon's blows, though only by seconds. A few feet away, Dokuonna tried to get her claws into Captain Black. That was when he noticed something. The grass where the she-demon's claws touched was turning brown and smoking.  
  
"What the heck?"  
  
"Ah, you noticed," Dokuonna grinned, "My nails are quite deadly, you see, I have a way with poisons." She opened her mouth wide, and Black saw sickly pinkish fluid drip from her overly long incisors.  
  
"Oh that is so not attractive."  
  
"Toh-ru! Get the mask!"  
  
"Oh no you don't!" Dokuonna dove at Tohru, snarling and clawing. The large man blocked her with the metal case, wincing when he saw the material melt. It would not last a second attack.  
  
"Hey ugly!"  
  
"Huh?" Dokuonna turned just in time to receive an onion in the face.  
  
"MY EYES!!!!!!! YOU LITTLE BRAAAAT!!!!!!" Dokuonna shrieked in agony and disappeared in a puff of smoke.  
  
Hidoi watched his companion's departure with wide eyes.  
  
"Wanna go two for two?" Jade threatened, waving a second onion.  
  
Hidoi shied away from the girl, "You wouldn't..."  
  
Jade drew her arm back.  
  
"BYE!" The demon was gone before they could blink.  
  
"That was lucky," Jackie sighed, "How did you know the onions would work Jade?"  
  
"Well Uncle Jackie, Tohru said that onions were supposed to ward them off, and it only didn't work on the part huma- Uncle Jackie! You're bleeding!"  
  
"What?" Jackie asked, "Where?"  
  
At Jade's exclamation, Dr. Hannon leapt forward, first aid kit in hand.  
  
"Your back Mr. Chan," she said, "You've got a nice little gash across your shoulder."  
  
Jackie remembered the feeling of something touching his back when Hidoi had pounced him. He stood still while Hannon examined the wound.  
  
"You got lucky. Cut's shallow, won't even need stitches. Looks like Hidoi doesn't use poison like Dokuonna." She dabbed at his back with a cotton swab, and taped some gauze over it. "I'll want to take a closer look once we get back to civilization."  
  
Jackie nodded silently. He was very glad that they'd brought a doctor along for once.  
  
"Good! Now, we can continue ceremony!" Uncle said, "Tohru! Mask!"  
  
Once more they gathered around the tree. Tohru picked up Tarakudo's mask gently, and placed it against the trunk as Uncle had instructed.  
  
For a moment, nothing happened. Before Jackie could ask if they had taken too long to fight the Oni, however, the tree bark shifted. Tohru leapt back in surprise, but the mask did not fall without him holding it. The symbol Uncle had painted began to glow, and then seeped into the tree. The bark began to warp and push, as though something inside were trying to get out. Within seconds, a humanoid torso formed from the tree, the mask where the face should have been. One arm broke free, clawing the air. The bark receded to reveal a pale white hand. Slowly, the straining, silent figure pulled its way out of the _sakura_ tree's trunk. The bark continued to peel away, showing still more white flesh covered with a black _yukata_. Long white hair spilled down around the mask as the last of the bark fell. The thin figure finally freed itself from the tree, and collapsed at the base.  
  
No one moved. No one spoke. The only sound was the panting breaths of the person at the foot of the _sakura_ tree.  
  
Tarakudo was resurrected.  
  
The mask was still in place, and still merely a mask. One shaking pale hand reached up and tossed it away. White hair still hid the face beneath. Slowly, he looked up at them. The hard yellow-green eyes were more than familiar, but not the face that framed them.  
  
It was Dr. Hannon, the only one present that had never met Tarakudo, who summed up their shocking surprise.  
  
"He can't be older than fifteen..."  
  
END CHAPTER THREE

* * *

#Looks around cautiously# Well, three guesses why Tarakudo was pissed at me. #Evil grin#  
  
Author's notes:  
  
Dr. Sera Hannon is mine. It always miffed me that they never bring any sort of medic with them. She was kind of put in at the last second.  
  
Sakura: Japanese cherry trees. They come in pink and white.  
  
I always found it funny that white means purity in some cultures, and death in others.  
  
Yukata: a type of Japanese robe, kind of like a knee-length kimono that's more open in the chest. I'm not really sure.  
  
Sorry again for the delays. There shouldn't be as much trouble with the next chapter. Tarakudo the kid, and what were those seals Dokuonna was ranting about?  
  
Glyph: Oh, Tarakudo-sama! Look! There's 'Leo!  
  
Note to self, put out want add for new muse and go buy some onions. 


	4. Let Sleeping Demons Lie

Arileo: I LIVE!!!! Sorry it's been so long. I was on vacation for two weeks, and had to deal with getting my college applications straightened out. These next few chapters should go pretty smoothly compared to the last one.

Glyph: Tarakudo kawaii!

Arileo: That's probably the only reason for this.

REVIEWS:

VampireNaomi: The cuteness was the whole idea. And I _AM_ considering a Jade/Tara, but I'm still working on it. There will be some great moments between them later on.

Queen Jade(): Oh, you'll love some of it.

Oriental(): Thank you! And sorry for making you wait.

HamHamDude: I am very big on trying to type people's speech patterns correctly. I actually sit here mimicking Uncle at times to make sure I've got it right.

Souma Kagura: **_blush_ **People keep telling me that. I'm not _that_ good.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Jackie Chan Adventures and I'm getting nothing out of this. I do however own Hidoi, Dokuonna, and Dr. Hannon. Those three I'll lend to people who ask.

The Resurrection of Tarakudo

Chapter four: Let Sleeping Demons Lie

"He can't be older than fifteen..." Dr. Hannon whispered.

Jackie really hadn't known what to expect Tarakudo's original form to look like, perhaps the eight foot tall demon the final mask potion had turned him into, but not this.

Crouching before them was a teenage boy clad in only a black _yukata_. White bangs fell into his almost feminine face, the rest draped over his shoulders and back. Tarakudo's green eyes were the only color.

"Uncle," Jackie said at last, "Are you sure that the spell worked properly?"

"I think it did," said Tohru, "Three-quarters human..."

When the large man spoke, Tarakudo glanced around at the humans, seeming to finally recognize them. He drew back his black lips, startling against the pale white skin, and let out a snarl.

"_Chan..._"

The disgust and rage in the soft voice erased any doubt that this boy was their recently defeated enemy.

"Tarakudo." Jackie responded

"What have you _done?_" the demon demanded and jumped at Jackie so quickly all that could be seen was a white streak.

Jackie hit the ground with Tarakudo on top of him. He grabbed the front of Jackie's sweater and shook him angrily, "How could you?! Idiot human! What have you done to me?"

Black ran up and pulled him off, doing his best to avoid the flying kicks and punches directed at him. Tarakudo dashed away again, moving more quickly than the human eye could see. Jackie regained his footing and tried to catch the white haired boy. He managed to duck the next pounce, and Tarakudo landed right in Tohru's waiting arms.

"Let go of me you oaf! I'll feast on your flesh!" Tarakudo struggled, but couldn't break free. In desperation he bit Tohru and succeeded in making him let go.

"I'll... I'll... kisama..." Tarakudo swayed on his feet for a moment, and passed out.

Rather anti-climactic, huh?

"Tarakudo just... fainted," Jade said incredulously.

Tohru laid the small, thin form out on the grass. Uncle and Dr. Hannon ran up to his side.

"What happened?" Jackie asked, rubbing his back. What was with demons and pouncing on him?

"Demon's chi is unbalanced from ceremony. Will take time to regain lost energy," Uncle explained.

"Wouldn't surprise me," said Hannon. "After all, according to what I was told in the briefing, he hasn't had a physical body for hundreds of years. He'll probably need a few days to pull everything together."

"He didn't seem to have any trouble a minute ago," Jackie muttered.

"Adrenaline rush most likely."

At this explanation, Jackie nodded. He had plenty of experience with what that wonderful little substance could let people do.

"So," said Jade, "What're we gonna do with him? I mean- all the demon-hauling equipment we brought was for a big guy."

"We continue with the schedule," Black replied. "Secure Tarakudo, camp here for the night, and return to the airport in the morning. The return trip should hopefully be easier."

Jackie awoke the next morning feeling sore and tired. Nothing new there. He was pleased to see that nothing had changed since he'd fallen asleep. Tohru was still snoring like a log with Jade curled up against his side, Uncle's demon-wards were still keeping anymore surprise visits from Dokuonna and Hidoi at bay, and best of all, Tarakudo was still handcuffed and unconscious where they'd left him wrapped in a blanket.

"Jackie, you 'wake?" Black asked. "There's still some coffee left."

"Please."

Jackie eagerly sipped the black drink. It was one of the worst cups of coffee he'd ever had, but it was still coffee, and that was all that mattered at the moment.

"We should wake everyone up. Time to go."

Once they were awake and packed, the J-team set out.

Black hauled Tarakudo on his shoulders in a fireman's carry, while Jackie had a still-sleepy Jade on his (still sore) back. Tohru and Hannon carried the rest of the equipment, and Uncle kept up an anti-Oni ward.

As Captain Black predicted, the trip back went a lot faster.

All was peaceful, Jade was occupied talking with Hannon much to Jackie's relief, and the Oni were nowhere in sight. 

Then Tarakudo woke up.

"Arg! Get him offa me!"

Jackie turned back to see that Tarakudo had somehow twisted himself across Black's shoulders and had his teeth sunk into the man's neck.

Jackie grabbed the white-haired demon and wrestled him to the ground.

Tarakudo didn't even bother to threaten them this time, simply snarling and yelling.

He held onto the smaller form as tightly as he could, avoiding kicks and the occasional bite. Normally Jackie had no qualms about fighting demons, but not one that looked like a child. His worries were greatened by the fact that Tarakudo's strikes were not the fine martial arts he had used in their first physical battle. Instead he seemed frantic, only concentrating on escape. After what seemed like hours the struggles ceased.

Jackie loosened his grip and gently placed Tarakudo on the ground.

"He fainted **again**," Jade stated.

"So it would seem. Is Captain Black alright?"

"I'm fine. He didn't even break the skin. I was more angry then hurt," Black said waving off Dr. Hannon's attention.

"Ugh..." Jackie groaned. "I suppose having to deal with an irate Tarakudo is better than Dokuonna using power of the Oni mask for anything. Now we should not have anything to worry about."

"Co-rect." Said Uncle, "Shi-Ma-oh's power is now dispersed through out the world as it should have been when he died. His power will go into the seals on the other Oni."

"IN-correct."

"Ugh, Uncle Jackie, he's awake again already."

"Hah! And just in time too. Baka ningen. That's why you did this to me?" Tarakudo laughed, "You thought it would help? You've just doomed yourselves!"

The white-haired boy threw back his head and laughed again.

"What're you laughing about shorty?" Black growled, putting emphasis on the new height difference.

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

"Then please, enlighten us," Jackie said.

"The seals will not stay up without a catalyst to hold the power of Shi-Ma-oh. That is why I took it in the first place. I was the catalyst at first, and later, the mask. But now the power is gone. I did not create these seals, the former Oni king did. He used them on countless enemies. Shi-Ma-oh's seals are not ordinary demon-seals. You are stuck just out of phase with this world, able to see and hear, but not interact, even with other sealed demons. Each seal is connected to a physical object, and when the power within it runs out, it will shatter, releasing a demon. But it is impossible to know when or where that will happen."

"Great," Jackie groaned, "I don't suppose that you would be willing to help stop this from happening?"

"You _can_ re-seal a demon into the seal it came from permanently, but it takes a lot of power I no longer have. And the longer a demon's free, the more power they get back." Tarakudo replied, continuing to imply that this new dilemma was their fault.

"Besides it's already begun hasn't it? Who's been following us?"

"They were called Dokuonna and Hidoi."

"Those two! Oh, you're in trouble when they get back to full strength. But it will take a while."

"They didn't seem too happy with you either," Jade snapped.

Tarakudo shrugged. "I sealed Dokuonna because she wanted to take over the world. She'll recruit as many Oni as possible, and build herself an army."

"So." Jackie said, "We have a new problem. We have to find a way to re-seal these demons."

Tarakudo sniggered.

"And you are going to help us."

"K'so!"

* * *

Chapter 4, finally. We have our mission!

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

Tarakudo the cute little human teenager, what have I done?

Translations:

Kisama- you bastard

Baka ningen- idiot mortals (expect Tara-kun to say this a lot)

K'so!- an expletive, (damn, sh!t, fcuk, etc.)

Whee! After months, a new chapter. Next chapter: Getting to Know You!


	5. Getting to Know You

Arileo: Chapter five, ready to go! WOOT!

Glyph-chan: Tarakudo!

Arileo: What happened to Valmont?

Glyph-chan: No, behind you!

Tarakudo: Baka ningen! Shi-ne!!!!

Arileo: ACK! Excuse me, RUNAWAAAAAAAY!!!!!

Glyph-chan: While Leo's running away from the angry pumpkin, I'll handle the rest. (Giggle)

REVIEWS:

Queen Jade: The idea of Tarakudo biting people was too good to pass up.

VampireNaomi: Sweet? Sweet? Okay...

RyanL: a new reader, yay! And I'll have to remember to check your stuff out.

DISCLAIMER: Arileo does not own Jackie Chan Adventures. The really big corporations do. So no suing, m'kay?

* * *

The Resurrection of Tarakudo

Chapter five: Getting to Know You.

Something told Jackie that the plane ride home wouldn't be nearly a peaceful as the trip over to Japan had been.

After laughing at them, Tarakudo had passed out again. Dr. Hannon assured them that it would probably continue for another day or so, and that he would still have to rest for a few more after that. Things went quietly for the rest of the hike, and the 4-hour drive to the airport.

"I want to know what he was talking about," Captain Black growled.

"Huh?" Jackie asked.

"Him, with that seal stuff. I want details," Black pointed to where the sleeping demon-child had been strapped into a seat on the jet.

"We will have to wait for him to wake up again," Jackie replied.

"Hey," Jade burst into the conversation, "Why can't we wake him up now? He can always sleep later."

"Because I'll bite your damned fingers off _gaki_. That's why."

Speak of the devil, and he awakens to annoy you.

"I guess we do not have to wait."

"Actually Mr. Chan, we should wait until after takeoff. The pilots are ready to go," said Hannon.

"Alright," Black threw up his hands, "I can wait until we're in the air. And you-" he pointed a finger at Tarakudo, "- Don't you dare faint again."

"I don't faint ningen."

"All passengers please fasten your seatbelts. We are about to taxi onto the runway."

As the plane rolled forward, something truly unexpected happened. Tarakudo yelped.

"What the..." Jade looked across the aisle at him. "Did you just..." Truth dawned on her, causing her to grin wickedly. "You've never been on a plane before."

"Yes I have," Tarakudo snapped, "With the Dark Hand, remember?"

"Yeah, but that was when you were all floaty. You didn't actually feel it, did you?"

"..."

"Hey Captain Black, I don't think we have to worry about whitey-locks here falling asleep before you can talk to him!"

"Shi-ne."

"Alright 'kid', I want a full explanation. How do we deal with these seals?" Black stood over Tarakudo's seat.

"Why should I?" Tarakudo said, "What's in it for me? After all, you were simply planning on locking me away in your Section 13."

"What? You want me to just let you go? Not on your life."

Uncle snorted, "Why not? Demon is harmless now. Weak. No power."

"Why you!!" Tarakudo lunged against his restraints.

"Calm down!" Jackie cried. "Please! Perhaps we can come to some sort of a compromise. Firstly, I also believe that we should not put Tarakudo in Section 13's prison, he is only a child-"

"Bite me Chan!"

"- And should be allowed some freedom-"

"I retract my earlier statement."

"- So... I propose that we have someone 'adopt' him. As a caretaker."

"Okay, I take it back, bite me Chan!"

"If I could continue un-interrupted for a moment. It would be in your best interest as well Tarakudo, if you cooperate. Dokuonna and the other Oni will not be happy with you I think. You will not be able to protect yourself as you are now."

"And whose fault is that! Baka ningen who think they know everything," the former Oni king hunched in his seat.

"You know that I am right."

Tarakudo's expression could only be described as pouting. There was silence for a long moment, before he finally spoke.

"Bah. Fine, I'll tell you what you've gotten yourselves into. If only because it will be amusing top watch you try to delay the inevitable."

"And what IS the 'inevitable'?" Black asked.

"That, in this era where science is God and demons are only legend, the Oni will have the advantage, and destroy you all."

Shifting slightly in his restraints to get more comfortable, Tarakudo began to tell the origins of Shi-Ma-oh's demon seals.

"Don't interrupt me ningen, you need to listen and learn.

"Long ago, Shi-Ma-oh heard of a Buddhist monk who was developing a method of storing dangerous demons in a sub-realm where they could not harm others. This was to be used as a sort of a prison for demon criminals. In those days we were not uncommon, and even lived alongside humans. The Oni king was power hungry, and saw this to be of use to him. So he kidnapped the monk, and tortured him to the brink of insanity to learn the secret of his technique. With the poor bastard's help, he warped it, making it so that he could siphon off power from the sealed demons, making himself stronger.

"These seals are like torture. In the original use, the demon sealed away would be in a state of suspended animation. In Shi-Ma-oh's version, they are fully aware of their surroundings, able to see and hear, but not touch or interact with the world around them in any way. How do you think Dokuonna and Hidoi learned English? The seal itself is manifested in a material object, like a statue, or a weapon sometimes.

"Now comes our current situation. In order to keep these seals functioning, they require a lot of power. The seal item stores some, but not enough. The main source of power was Shi-Ma-oh himself. He took power from the sealed demons and used it to keep them sealed. This power needs something in the physical realm to act as a sort of a focus to store it and keep it flowing. At first, the focus was Shi-Ma-oh, and then it was me, then the mask. But when you resurrected me in this form, I couldn't contain it, so the energy escaped, and the flow was disrupted. There is no more energy to keep the seals powered. It _will _run out. Each time a seal runs out of power, the demon is released. They will not be happy. They may not be sane. And if Dokuonna really is out there, she'll recruit them into an army. With that army, she will complete her ultimate goal."

"What goal is that?" Jackie asked.

"The reason I sealed her away. She wants find the ancient refuge of the Chaos demons deep within the earth. There, she hopes to find a legendary power, which will allow her to rule the world."

"So," said Jade, "You wanted to rule the world too."

"Baka ningen." Tarakudo snarled, "I wanted to rule the ENTIRE world, and all of its peoples. Dokuonna wants a world of nothing but Oni. She will slaughter everything else."

* * *

Glyph: Whee, not much action in this chapter, except Tarakudo-sama chasing Leo-kun!

AAAAAHH! HIDE ME!!

Tarakudo: I'm going to kill you!

Glyph: whispers in Leo's ear

Why didn't I think of that before? Snaps fingers, Tarakudo is now in human form

Tarakudo: &&(##!!!!!!!

Hah!

AUTHOR'S NOTES

Gaki- brat

Also, I was re-reading the earlier chapters and noticed a HUGE mistake I made. I translated the 'Hyaku' from Kage-Hyaku-oh as One thousand, when it actually means one _hundred. _One thousand is actually 'Sen', but I'm too lazy to go back and change it.


End file.
